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Greenport BID site’s $22K price tag irks some members

A screen shot of the Greenport BID website's home page.

New websites launched by both the Village of Greenport and the Greenport Business Improvement District are likely to please online visitors, but a controversy has arisen among some BID members over the cost of that group’s new site.

While the village spent $3,750 for its website, BID has spent $22,000 to date — and counting.

Harold House, a private consultant who is coordinating the BID site changes, defended the costs this week, saying that the BID website has approximately 450 pages of pictures and information of significance to tourists, while the village’s site is a more simple model that provides information on meetings, agendas, minutes and forms.

Some members of the BID who spoke to The Suffolk Times, but declined to be identified, complained that other BID projects in the village would have to go unfunded by the group this year because of the amount the website is costing.

Digital Motion website design originally asked $20,000 to build the BID site, and Mr. House negotiated that price down to $12,000. He, in turn, has been paid $10,000 to date for his work. Freelance photographer Randee Daddona has also been hired by the BID to provide pictures for the site, although figures on her services weren’t available.

The BID is a taxing district that collects from village businesses for events, promotions and capital projects, all to bring more foot traffic to the area.

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For the complete story on both websites, see The Suffolk Times on Thursday, Sept. 22.